[bsakennyh]

Hello,

I am putting a '57 corvette engine in my '41 Ford coupe. For this application I am adapting the Chevy motor to the early Ford flathead type transmission. I am using a vintage Offenhauser aluminum Chevy-to-Ford transmission adapter. I am using the small, 153 tooth flywheel. The starter bolts onto the adapter (bellhousing) with the three bolts. This is similar to the original system whereby the starter bolted onto the cast iron bellhousing. Since I am using the smaller flywheel......What starter can I use for the starter drive teeth to mesh with the smaller 153 tooth flywheel?? Can I change the starter drive to one with more teeth or is there a complete starter available to bolt onto the adapter that will spin this motor. I think an engine-block-mounted starter is out of the question.

Thank you.......Kenny

[Cape Cod Bob]

I think the gears are the same so would not matter but not sure.
I did own a 41 coupe back in the day and had the stock tranny with a 3/4 race Merc, wiend heads, and 3-dueces. I had fun with it but I don't think you will like the tranny. Back in the day a Lasalle tranny or gears from one was preferred.
Maybe some otherold timers can chime in here. How about some pics ?

[vinniekq2]

Ive never seen the small flywheel use a starter that bolts to the bell housing. I remember using that bell housing in a 65 Acadian I had when I was in high school. I used a very long clutch rod and needed to mount the bell crank to the bell housing because I didnt have a chevy2 block. good luck wit h that project.

[bsakennyh]

Thanks for your replies guys. All these folks read my post but only you answered! I think that what I must do is find a starter drive with more teeth to replace the 9-tooth drive or find a GM Chevy starter that was made for this particular application. I am sure that I am not the first person to use the 153 tooth flywheel with the old blocks that used the bellhousing-mounted starter!!!!

Kenny

[vinniekq2]

monza V-8s I think used the small ring gear.I would check with either a really old GM parts guy or find a local rebuilder that might know. I used a local rebuilder when I was using up a lot of starters in my old 1 ton ford diesel. he "made" me a starter using different parts from different starters and Ive been good for several years now. you need an older guy that doesnt use computers,lol...

[Cape Cod Bob]

Following up om my Lasalle tranny thoughts. I just found this post today over on the HAMB and thought you might like a look.Cool Lasalle Transmission - THE H.A.M.B.

[bsakennyh]

I enjoyed reading about the old modified transmission. There is no substitute for ingenuity!! I have several homebuilt hotrods and muscle cars and I have kept them pretty much the same over the years. I first drove my '40 Ford coupe in '84. Only recently did I take the original front brakes off of it and put on a Speedway disc brake kit. It is safer now. I also put turn signals on it! I am not doing so much work on my '41 coupe. I am adapting the old Corvette motor to the old Ford closed drive. I have my choice of three column shifted three speeds or a floor shift three speed with supposedly Lincoln Zephyr gears. I was going to put a Chevy 350 in my '31 Model A coupe but in the interest of oldtime hotrodding I picked up a Lincoln Zephyr V12 that should make for an interesting project. I must build that one well though as I enjoy running out to Bonneville for the August meet. That which starts tomorrow actually. I guess I had better get packed!!!

Kenny (Mr. BSA of the Black Hills)

[cobalt327]

Originally Posted by bsakennyh

Hello,

I am putting a '57 corvette engine in my '41 Ford coupe. For this application I am adapting the Chevy motor to the early Ford flathead type transmission. I am using a vintage Offenhauser aluminum Chevy-to-Ford transmission adapter. I am using the small, 153 tooth flywheel. The starter bolts onto the adapter (bellhousing) with the three bolts. This is similar to the original system whereby the starter bolted onto the cast iron bellhousing. Since I am using the smaller flywheel......What starter can I use for the starter drive teeth to mesh with the smaller 153 tooth flywheel?? Can I change the starter drive to one with more teeth or is there a complete starter available to bolt onto the adapter that will spin this motor. I think an engine-block-mounted starter is out of the question.

Thank you.......Kenny

The small 153T flywheel didn't come along until the early '60s. Unless your vintage adapter was made specifically for a small diameter flywheel (which I do not recall), it will be using the larger 168T flywheel to mate w/the three-hole horizontal mounting bolts.

Now, if you were to go w/a later Ford tranny, you can use a different type adapter to mate the Ford tranny to a Chevy bellhousing. This allows you to use a block-mounted starter for the 153T flywheel.